He has no storyboard, no schedule and no discernible theme. Yet David Freiheit, aka Viva Frei, is one of the most captivating, endearing and ultimately successful YouTubers out there. The video maker, a lawyer by trade, has more than 26,000 YouTube subscribers and more than 30 million YouTube views on an array of family-friendly, feel-good videos. So, what are David’s tricks to becoming a viral success, and why are publishers so keen to work with him? David maintains Read more…

Over coffee with a colleague, you’re discussing what you did this past weekend. Chances are you’ll tell a story with a beginning, middle and an end, with detours and ups and downs thrown in for added drama. Now, think about your favorite ad, novel or movie. Does it follow the same arc? Using some of our favorite advertisements, we’ll explore the idea that stories do, in fact, have different and distinct “shapes.” The idea that every story has Read more…

Storyful was at DMX Dublin, on March 14, to discuss how to leverage insights to drive creative campaigns. Hosted by The Marketing Institute of Ireland, DMX Dublin discussed the state of advertising and how advertisers and marketers should think smarter, not harder, about their day-to-day marketing efforts. Storyful’s Global Executive Director of Intelligence Julien Goretti and Director of Brand Sales and Insights Jaclyn Kalb led the presentation, “Getting Clued In: The Journey from Insights to Creative”. Storyful spoke Read more…

To celebrate International Women’s Day, we asked the women of Storyful to share what this year’s #PressforProgress theme means to them. Below are five women from around Storyful that exemplify what it means to #PressforProgress as professionals and individuals. Jaclyn Kalb is a Sales Director on our Brand Partnership team in Storyful’s New York office and is certified as a spin instructor. Jaclyn, how are you Pressing for Progress in your life or career? Taking on thought leadership speaking Read more…

On March 24, a smear campaign targeting Emma Gonzalez, a Parkland survivor and gun-control activist, began on fringe online platforms. Supported by high-profile individuals and social accounts, the campaign coincided with the March of Our Lives, singling out Gonzalez for her leading role in the march. The campaign featured doctored images and GIFs showing the young activist ripping up the constitution. The original images were taken from a recent photoshoot with Teen Vogue, in which Gonzalez and Read more…

by Rhona Tarrant, Eoin Corbett, Peadar Grogan In February 2018, after almost seven years of conflict in Syria, government forces launched an offensive against opposition-held areas to the east of the capital city, Damascus, an area known as East Ghouta. By March 21, just over a month after the offensive began, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported some 1,600 civilians had been killed and about 50,000 people displaced. The region was home to about Read more…

Originally published on On the Media When the Syrian government waged a bombing campaign against Aleppo in 2016, mainstream outlets paid attention. The story had a political hook and a seven-year-old girl’s pleas got the world’s attention on Twitter. In Raqqa last year, the US-backed campaign to take back the ISIS stronghold also produced gripping headlines. But for the past few weeks, the Syrian government has been attacking the Damascus suburb of eastern Ghouta without nearly as much news coverage. Read more…

Storyful creative staff traded the skyscrapers of New York for the open spaces of Austin to attend the annual Interactive kick-off of South by Southwest. Four days running between panels and presentations from industry leaders led to some interesting insights. Here’s the lowdown from our team. Matt Klein Senior Creative Strategist Main Takeaway: Less Tech, More Human in Brand Strategy At SXSW Interactive – a conference notorious for its tech-driven discourse and annual break-though app – technology took Read more…

Long after St Patrick banished all the snakes from Ireland, an Irish journalist founded Storyful. In an homage to our company’s heritage, let’s explore how popular Irish alcohol brands reach global audiences for St Patrick’s Day. Culture Plenty will say, “Everyone’s Irish on St Patrick’s Day” and although the fine people of Ireland are good enough to share their luck and love for celebration with the rest of the world, a dose of real Irish culture can’t do Read more…

On the day after the Parkland shooting, a fringe right-wing anti-Semitic group called the Republic of Florida (ROF) claimed Nikolas Cruz, the man accused of killing at least 17 people, had trained with them. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) first reported the alleged link after speaking with Jordan Jereb, the public face of the ROF, as did ABC News. The Associated Press published further reporting, saying, “Jereb said he didn’t know Cruz personally and that ‘he acted on his Read more…